Baseline Moth Survey of Tater Hill, an Amphibolite Mountain in Western North Carolina

Adrianna Nelson^1,* and Matt C. Estep¹

¹Appalachian State University, 587 Rivers St, Boone, NC 28608. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 23, Issue 3 (2024): 316–330

First published early online: 3 August 2024

Abstract
Moths (Order Lepidoptera) represent a large and diverse group of insects. To better understand moth diversity in the mountains of western North Carolina, we documented species richness, distribution, and phenology at the Tater Hill Plant Conservation Preserve in Watauga County. From June to August of 2022, we surveyed 6 locations once every other week with bucket traps and documented moth diversity via photography, resulting in 2631 individuals and 223 species. Common eastern species as well as northern species at the southern reaches of their ranges were present. There were 17 species newly recorded in the county, 1 significant state record, and species that had not been recorded in Watauga County in decades. Documenting moth diversity contributes to our knowledge of ecosystems, which has the potential to inform conservation management.

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